We'll be two souls in a ghost town
by IaMcHrIsSi
Summary: There is something incredibly haunting about the desert of Tatooine. or: The twins on a mission on Tatooine, shortly after ROTJ


**AN: I'm really fascinated by the idea of Luke being religious, and by the twins having trouble adjusting to the rather sudden revelation that they are actually twins, even though they love each other and all that, but it's still something they are not quite sure how to handle. Also don't ask me about the mission they were on. I have no idea. I just wanted them to be on Tatooine.**

* * *

There is something incredibly haunting about the desert of Tatooine.

Leia is not sure if it's the desert itself, the knowledge of her own family history here, the stories Luke told her or just Luke's own feelings splashing over towards her, but she feels both as though she is at home and as though she should leave immediately.

Not that she could, even if she wanted to. They have to find Jabba's ledger, to learn about the Imperial connections to the Hutts. It's a rather low priority mission, but Leia signed her and Luke up there anyway. Just the two of them. Officially, it's because Luke knows the planet so well, and she is there because she should get outside more. Or something like that. She doesn't think Mon Mothma truly believed it, but it doesn't really matter.

The real reason she signed them on for this is because it turns out she has a brother, and while she knows him, loves him, has been his best friend for years... he's her brother now, and she thinks that they should talk about that. Alone. And anyway, coming here had seemed like a good idea, given that it's her brother's (her _brother's_ ) home planet, and at least technically one she might claim as her own too. Of course, now, she's got this strange feeling, and she's not so sure about the whole thing anymore.

"There are too many ghosts here." Luke says, unprompted, and it might not make any sense to any outsiders, but somehow, Leia knows what Luke is talking about. She always does. If she were to think about it, she'd probably think it was creepy, so she doesn't.

"Do you know them, the ghosts?" Leia asks. She adjusts the scarf over her head. Luke gave it to her, telling her about sandstorms and Hutts and Imperials. It feels strange, but at the same time familiar, and this is another thing Leia doesn't think about.

"Some. My... our grandmother, Shmi Skywalker, is here sometimes. She's kind, and wise. You know it's here when you feel an unexpected peace in your krai, your soul. You can trust her. Aki, the trickster, is an ancient ghost. Nobody truly knows him, but everybody who lives here has met him before. He is like a sharp desert storm, makes you feel like everything's possible, like no barrier is too high. It can be the push you need on a dangerous adventure, but it might also be what makes you irresponsible and gets you killed. Take the strength he gives you, but never trust him."

Luke is not looking at her. He's looking at the sheer endless sands, at the bright sky. He looks older than his twenty five years then, older than her, older than he should be. Leia wonders if it's this place or if it's the memories. Or the war. All three, probably.

"Jama, the Desert, the Mother, she is different to describe. She is all our mother, all our goddess. She is protective, and warm, but she can also be vengeful and harsh. Trust her, because she always has a plan, but think on your own, too. Jama likes those of her children most who use their brain." The way Luke talks about this makes Leia think of the priests and preachers of Alderaan, only more... well, what? He's not more faithful than they were, not more sophisticated or anything. He's... she knows he's telling her this because she is his sister. She knows he believes in it, deeply, fully, and that he loves this place as much as he hates it. What he is saying feels more ... _real_ , than anything any priest ever told her at home.

But she's not going to think about home now.

"Maybe Aunt Beru will become a ghost, too. She was kind, and she was wise, and she was on of our people, a daughter of the desert. She would be a good spirit, a kind one." Luke muses, and Leia feels a sharp spike of pain that she is about ninety percent sure is not actually hers.

"And... and Uncle Owen?" She asks hesitatingly. Luke doesn't talk about his family often, even with her, and she can feel how melancholic just being here makes him, but she is genuinely curious. They were her family too, after all, at least theoretically.

"No. Uncle Owen was... he wasn't on of our people. He respected and loved Aunt Beru and grandmother, but he was never a son of the desert. He was always free, and he did not have to worry about someone deciding he wasn't. He will not become a ghost. He wouldn't want too." He's looking at her now, and she wonders if she is supposed to ask about the desert more. She knows him, has thought of him as her brother long before she knew that he is, but she is new at having a connection to this place. Is she supposed to know about the ghosts, about the religion?

"Did he... did Uncle Owen believe in these things?" Leia asks after a moment. It seems to be the easiest thing to talk about right now.

"I don't think so. Uncle Owen believed in the things he could touch, in mechanics and sand and water and milk. He did not have much use for ghosts and stories." Luke shakes his head ruefully. "But unlike most free people he respected that Aunt Beru and I believe it. Aunt Beru always said that that was grandmothers influence."

"He sounds like a good man." Leia tells him after a moment. Suddenly, there is an image in her mind, of an elderly couple, deep lines etched into their face, their clothing drab but solid, and without asking she knows who they are.

"He was."

"Would he... would they have liked me?" She can't help but asking. It's kind of stupid, given that they are dead, and probably never even knew she existed, anyway, but she still wants to know. Probably because they so clearly meant so much to her brother.

"Aunt Beru would have adored you. She always said that the fire in our souls is the greatest gift Jama can give us, and you have so much fire in you. Uncle Owen... he would have been despairing over your lack of self preservation skills, but he would have been proud, too. They both would have been." There's a wistful tone in Luke's voice, and Leia takes his hand.

"What about your parents?" Luke asks, and now it's Leia who feels the sting of grief. The way Luke squeezes her hand, he felt it too, but he doesn't say anything, just looks at her patiently. He'd back away if she would tell him too, she knows, but she feels that she owes him this answer.

"Mama would have taken you to the library for hours, just to tell you stories. She loved them as much as you do." Leia smiles, and her eyes are dry. "Papa, he would have taken you to all the museums on Alderaan. And probably you'd have long discussions on the nature of freedom and things like that. They'd have adored you."

Luke smiles. She feels his quiet joy, and the love he always sends through their bond. It's like he's saying that they are going to be okay, and somehow, she believes it.


End file.
